(Ecofin Agency) - In Uganda, the National Union of Coffee Agribusiness and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE) asked the government to create a legislation to protect the quality of locally grown coffee.

According to the group, the law should input crop management methods and punish those who mismanage their output thus contributing to overall decline of quality.

Chairman of NUCAFE, Gerald Ssendaula, said harvesting immature beans and bad drying methods affect the quality of output. “There is no law to protect the crop,” he said. Also, minister for agriculture, Christopher Kibazanga, responded to his concern saying a draft law addressing the issue was currently being considered.

Bloomberg said that NUCAFE’s request comes as Uganda’s coffee export earnings fell to $327 million this year, from $411 million in 2015. The nation which is Africa’s biggest exporter for the bean thus sees its coffee earnings fall for the third consecutive year.

Aaron Akinocho